https://www.jokog.ir/ Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge en daily 1 Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.jokog.ir/article_243220.html A study of regional development policymaking on economic growth in different provinces of Iran can help to better understand and design appropriate programs for the development and economic growth of the country. One of the most fundamental topics in economic literature is economic growth, about which several theories have been proposed. Achieving 8% economic growth is possible through various paths, one of which is regional development policymaking. Therefore, it seems necessary to examine the economic effects of this policymaking.This study, using a panel data approach and the dynamic least squares (DOLS) method, analyzed the impact of regional development policymaking on economic growth in 31 provinces of Iran during the years 2011-2013. The results show that a one percent increase in the fiscal decentralization component leads to a 0.547 percent increase in economic growth. Also, with a one percent increase in oil revenue, economic growth increases by 0.089 percent, and the relationship between them is positive and significant. In addition, if the regional balanced credit increases by one percent, economic growth in the long run will increase by 0.853 percent, which is also positive and significant. Also, in the long run, auxiliary variables such as labor force and foreign direct investment have a positive and significant effect on economic growth https://www.jokog.ir/article_243231.html Science diplomacy, as one of the key tools of foreign policy, plays an important role in strengthening international relations, exchanging knowledge, and solving global challenges. The United States, with the most advanced scientific and research infrastructure in the world, has used science diplomacy as a tool to advance its national interests. In the structure of foreign policy implementation in the United States, the State Department plays a key role and, along with other organizations and institutions, pursues the goals and interests of the United States in foreign policy. This research sought to answer the question of what role the United States Department of State plays in the governance of science diplomacy in American foreign policy. The research method is qualitative and hypothesis-driven, and using a theoretical and conceptual framework within the overall framework of empirical research, it sought to describe and explain the position of the United States Department of State in the governance of science diplomacy. The information gathering tool in this regard was a library and using reliable sources available in articles and databases extracted from the Internet. The results of the study show that the US State Department plays a key role in advancing science diplomacy as a strategic tool in the country's foreign policy. The department seeks to maintain and strengthen the scientific and technological position of the United States in the world by establishing and managing international scientific cooperation, participating in global organizations, and using new technologies in diplomatic relations. In a situation where scientific competition between great powers such as China and the European Union has increased, the US State Department, by implementing targeted policies in the field of science diplomacy, is trying to maintain the country's scientific superiority and use it as a tool to increase international influence. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243221.html AbstractThe aim of this study is to identify and explain trust-based resource mobilization mechanisms in social organizations, emphasizing the role of trust as a strategic asset in strengthening social capital, enhancing cooperative networks, and facilitating social innovation. The research methodology is meta-synthesis, based on a systematic review of academic sources, with the study population comprising articles published up to 2025 in reputable databases. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 qualitative articles were selected for analysis. The quality of these studies was assessed using the 32-item COREQ checklist. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding utilizing MAXQDA software, resulting in the extraction of trust mechanisms in five main domains: transactional trust, social capital, trust networks, social innovation, and social entrepreneurship. Findings demonstrated that these mechanisms provide an integrated framework for resource management and realization of organizational missions. Ultimately, practical strategies are recommended for policymakers and managers to promote trust as a strategic resource. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243229.html The role of the military in foreign policy governance has long been a subject of significant scholarly attention, as it profoundly influences a country’s international interactions and domestic political dynamics. This paper aims to analyze and compare the impact of military actors on foreign policy governance in two distinct systems: Iran and the United States. Employing a comparative methodology, the study explores structural, historical, and political dimensions that shape the involvement of military institutions in shaping foreign policy decisions. While Iran’s foreign policy governance often reflects the influence of ideological and revolutionary frameworks combined with military presence, the United States demonstrates a more institutionalized civil-military balance, though military influence remains pronounced in strategic policymaking.The findings reveal both similarities and fundamental differences in the extent and nature of military intervention in foreign policy in the two countries. Iran’s military role is deeply embedded within the framework of its revolutionary goals and regional security concerns, whereas the United States leverages its military primarily for maintaining global dominance and strategic alliances. This research highlights the implications of such military involvement, including its impact on governance efficacy, international perception, and regional security. The study concludes with recommendations aimed at enhancing civil-military balance in foreign policy governance, particularly within contexts similar to Iran. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243224.html The current research has been carried out with the aim of data governance pathology in the development of platform and digital economy in Iran and providing a suitable model based on SWOT analysis. In the first part, all the researches conducted in domestic and foreign databases in the last 15 years related to the topic and variables of the research were reviewed with the method of systematic review and primary pathology and completed by examining the development models presented in this field. The third part has analyzed the thematic methode with use of MAXQDA software and conducted interviews with experts and managers in the fields of economics, data, management, etc. sampling was done using the snowball method. In the fifth section, according to the components categorized in each section, weakness, strength, opportunity and threat, and to identify improvement strategies in this area, SWOT matrix. Finally, in order to prioritize the most important strategies for application, they were scored using the QSPM matrix. The results of coding with the systematic review method indicate that the main harms of data governance in the development of the digital and platform economy in 7 main dimensions are: violation of privacy, data security and protection, monopoly and data concentration. , data quality and integrity, infrastructure issues, legal and regulatory issues, ethical issues. Based on the content analysis, the news was in the field of privacy violations, security and data protection, economic issues, social issues, etc. According to the findings of the theme analysis, the findings indicate that this model based on 203 basic themes and 109 organizing themes has 18 overarching themes including harms and development-oriented. Further, by examining the components in the previous 3 sections, 15 of the most important components are placed in each dimension of the matrices, i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In order to improve the situation and develop this field, 40 main strategies for 4 dimensions WT, ST, WO and SO and 900 minor strategies in these four dimensions have been examined. Finally, prioritization was done through the QSPM matrix on 40 main strategies separately on 4 dimensions. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243228.html In the contemporary world, the foreign policy of each country is tied to numerous social factors and relations, such as social, economic, cultural, and political factors, and is not a phenomenon that can be studied in an abstract manner and separately from these influential factors. Consequently, in the field of foreign policy analysis of countries, the factors affecting a country's decision-making and diplomatic behavior have always been analyzed from various angles. The study and analysis of foreign policy from the perspective of the country's leaders is one of these factors under study, which although is not the only influential factor and cannot replace other factors alone, ignoring its impact on the governance of foreign policy of countries is also far from wise, because the role of leadership in the political system of Velayat-e-Faqih is very influential, and on the other hand, the leadership's perspective can determine the main direction and destination of the country's diplomatic apparatus. For this reason, in this research, using documentary studies and library resources and the method of content analysis, we have attempted to understand the indicators and characteristics of foreign policy governance and policymaking in the emerging new world order. Also, according to the studies conducted, it seems that the most important concept among them is the concept of "the world in transition and the need to increase influence on the future order," which is a key keyword in determining the style and context of the Islamic Republic of Iran's interactions with other actors in the international arena. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243223.html In the era of the knowledge-based economy, centers of scientific excellence play a crucial role as engines driving technological development and innovation. This study conducts a comparative analysis of such centers in Australia and New Zealand and extracts policy lessons relevant to the development of science and technology in Iran. The research examines the policy dimensions, governance structures, and operational processes of these centers using a combined theoretical framework that integrates the Triple Helix model (university–industry–government) and multi-level governance. Findings reveal that Australia, with a strong emphasis on innovation and global competitiveness, employs a multi-level funding model and engages extensively with industry. In contrast, New Zealand adopts a more centralized and targeted approach, focusing on strategic areas such as quantum technologies and indigenous research. Both countries benefit from transparent evaluation and monitoring mechanisms, a combination of public and private funding sources, and dynamic stakeholder engagement. Based on the results of this study, several policy recommendations are proposed for Iran: the formulation of a national roadmap prioritizing key fields such as nanotechnology and biotechnology; strengthening university–industry–government interactions; and designing diverse funding models. Furthermore, the establishment of supporting institutions similar to the Australian Research Council (ARC) and New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs), the development of practical educational programs, and participation in international scientific networks are also recommended. The study underscores the importance of adapting global models to local contexts and national needs as a key success factor for centers of scientific excellence. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243230.html This study examines the persistent obstacles to the economization of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy through an integrated conceptual framework derived from New Institutionalism and Foreign Policy Analysis. Employing a qualitative approach based on a systematic literature review and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 18 policy and economic elites, this research argues that the primary impediments are not merely external pressures but are deeply rooted in institutional rigidity and historical path dependency within Iran's decision-making structures. Findings indicate that this institutional context fosters an environment where the dominance of a security-driven institutional logic over an economic logic, coupled with bureaucratic rivalries among parallel institutions, systematically hinders the transformation of diplomacy into a tool for trade development and investment attraction. While sanctions have acted as an external catalyst highlighting the need for trade partner diversification, the study suggests that without profound institutional reforms in domestic rules of the game and the bureaucratic incentive system, these opportunities will not be fully realized. By analyzing the interplay between structures (institutions) and agents (bureaucracies), this research proposes that an effective operationalization strategy must focus on the de-institutionalization of dysfunctional procedures and the institutionalization of coordinative, economically-oriented structures. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243222.html The aim of this research is to conduct a comparative analysis of spatial planning in the higher education systems of Iran, the USA, and the UK, with a focus on key indicators of spatial planning. This qualitative study employs a comparative strategy that includes description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison. The findings indicate that spatial planning in the educational systems of the studied countries is significantly influenced by cultural, economic, and political factors. While Iran faces challenges such as insufficient educational infrastructure and a lack of coordination among various institutions, the USA and the UK have successfully enhanced educational quality and responded to labor market needs through effective policymaking and comprehensive spatial planning programs. This research identifies the strengths and weaknesses of spatial planning in the aforementioned countries and provides recommendations for improving and developing higher education spatial planning in Iran. In particular, focusing on synergies among educational institutions and formulating strategic policies based on the successful experiences of developed countries can contribute to the enhancement of educational quality and sustainable development in Iran. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243226.html Post-revolutionary Iran has consistently been recognized as a unique actor by great powers due to its divergence from established international norms. This divergence has prompted an ongoing policy-making effort to dismantle one approach while legitimizing another. This article addresses the main question of how Iran has deconstructed “Normal Politics” and legitimized the “Politics of Resistance” within the Middle East over the past two decades. By examining the notion of resistance as a fundamental human right and drawing upon Michel Foucault’s framework of resistance and power, this article concludes that the Islamic Republic of Iran, aligned with key elements of Iranian identity and the principles articulated by its political leaders—which are reflected in its Constitution—has normalized the Axis of Resistance. This normalization has been achieved by promoting a resistance subculture via engagement with non-state entities in the Middle East, standing in contrast to the prevailing policies of the United States. The resistance subculture has been primarily formed and sustained through opposition to the United States and its ally, Israel. The findings presented in this article are both descriptive and explanatory, underpinned by comprehensive library research. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243225.html One of the most significant future trends in higher education is the shift of the academic system toward new generations and the adoption of characteristics such as responsibility and entrepreneurship. In other words, the convergence between universities, government, society, and industry is considered a forward-looking necessity in higher education. The policies outlined in Iran’s upstream documents on science, technology, and innovation also affirm this, though their sheer number and inflation sometimes lead to a lack of focus in the strategic planning of educational and research institutions, as well as science and technology parks. This research, which is descriptive-analytical in nature, collected twelve upstream documents and employed thematic analysis using text mining with RapidMiner software. It identified 35 basic concepts, 8 organizing concepts, and 3 overarching themes: ((Attention to spatial planning and international collaborations)), ((Human resource development and training)) and ((Scientific and technological development and innovation)). The resulting thematic hierarchy can be used to assess the alignment of strategic documents from educational and research institutions, as well as science and technology parks, with the higher objectives of the country’s science, technology, and innovation sector. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243227.html Abstract:The efforts of states—particularly developing countries—to join BRICS can be regarded as a strategic investment in the process of fundamentally rethinking the structure of the global economy; an investment whose outcome is expected to advance and realize the interests of the international community, especially the Global South. This study seeks to answer the question: within the framework of global governance, what are the opportunities and challenges facing Iran as a new member of BRICS? The central hypothesis asserts that Iran, through its BRICS membership, can benefit from participating in the architecture of a multilateral global economic order; however, it also faces several challenges, including the internal structural weaknesses of BRICS, vulnerability and passivity in the face of U.S. sanctions policies, and the influence of major powers’ strategies on the scope of multilateral cooperation. Moreover, the findings indicate that effective utilization of these opportunities requires the formulation of strategies aligned with BRICS requirements and the evolving global order. The research method is explanatory–analytical. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243219.html Participation in global value chains, in addition to learning within global value chains in terms of access to export markets and achieving economies of scale, is important in R&D intensive industries.The main question of our paper: In chemical industries, is there any relationship between technological capabilities and position in Global value chain?For this purpose, an inductive quantitative method was adopted, and the variables: GVC share, Forward and backward centrality in the value chain, patents, GDP per capita, R&D expenditures, Gross capital formation, Exports of medium-hightech products, Net foreign direct investment (FD)I were estimated using panel data (76 countries over 26 years)Technological capabilities have the greatest impact on the position in the global value chain, followed by forward centrality, which has a high influence—in other words, innovative suppliers play a pivotal role in this industry.The positive and significant coefficient of medium- and high-tech product exports indicates that countries must pass through stages of industrial development and have a presence in global markets to enhance their position in the global value chain and increase exports.This study, while confirming the findings of previous research—such as the importance of technology, centrality, and the role of R&D in the global value chain—employed econometric techniques and categorized countries based on their high or low participation in the chemical industry's global value chain. It identified a threshold of 4% share in the global value chain as the point where countries' roles begin to shift.Specifically, in countries with more than a 4% share in the global value chain, the relationship between technological capability and position in the global value chain reverses. For these 11countries, a superior position in the global value chain drives the development of technological capabilities, rather than the other way around. In other words, depending on a country's share in the global value chain, a co-evolutionary relationship between technological capabilities and global value chain positioning is observed. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243232.html The global governance system that emerged after World War II within the framework of liberal international institutions is now facing mounting crises. The intensification of geopolitical conflicts, the ineffectiveness of multilateral bodies such as the UN Security Council in preventing the spread of violence, and the unprecedented rise in humanitarian needs all point to a gradual erosion of the legitimacy and efficacy of the existing order. In this context, critical narratives challenging the West’s double standards in the realm of international security have gained traction, while non-Western actors are increasingly seeking to redefine global security concepts and mechanisms by proposing alternative initiatives. As a rising power, China has introduced the “Global Security Initiative” in an effort to institutionalize principles such as respect for sovereignty, non-intervention, and opposition to unilateralism within a new discursive framework. At the regional level, the Islamic Republic of Iran has similarly advanced proposals such as the “ Hope Coalition” and “MWADA,” aimed at establishing indigenous security arrangements in the Persian Gulf and offering a counter-narrative to the U.S. approach, which is rooted in external intervention. This study adopts a qualitative approach and employs comparative analysis to examine the discursive capacities of these two initiatives in confronting the dominant security order. Its objective is to analyze the structural and conceptual differences between them, as well as their respective potentials for shaping non-Western alternative discourses in the domain of transnational security governance. The findings suggest that although both initiatives face significant operational challenges, they possess discursive potential to contribute to a transformation in the logic of international security—particularly among countries of the Global South https://www.jokog.ir/article_243233.html This study was conducted with the aim of designing a policymaking model for Iran’s electric energy sector within the framework of the New Silk Road. In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and methodologically, it employs a qualitative approach based on grounded theory. The statistical population consisted of experts in the energy sector, and using purposive sampling, 30 individuals were selected as the sample. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using three-stage coding (open, axial, and selective). To assess the trustworthiness of the findings, Guba and Lincoln’s criteria were applied. The results of the study indicated that, from the experts’ perspective, factors such as Iran’s geopolitical position and the intensifying rivalry between the United States and China function as facilitating conditions; sanctions and their consequences, as well as tensions between Iran and certain regional countries, act as intervening conditions; and the neighboring countries’ demand for electricity markets, alongside Iran’s loss of its former status as a regional electricity exporter and its possession of the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves, constitute extractable external and internal causal factors. When addressed through diverse strategies—such as managing domestic electricity supply and demand with an emphasis on electricity exports, and expanding electricity generation from various sources—these factors can lead to valuable outcomes in commercial and geo-economic domains, developmental and technological spheres, strategic and energy diplomacy dimensions, as well as institutional and energy governance areas. Accordingly, these findings can provide a foundation for formulating effective electric energy policies for Iran, with an emphasis on international interactions along the pathway of the New Silk Road. Keywords: Policymaking, Policy Design, New Silk Road, Model Development, Grounded Theory, Paradigm Model, Contextual Factors, International Interactions https://www.jokog.ir/article_243234.html The recent transformation of governance through the rise of data-driven paradigms has inaugurated a new phase in which data is no longer a mere instrument of decision-making but a foundational source of legitimacy in public administration. Data-driven governance, relying on algorithmic analysis, evidence-based decision-making, and traceability of administrative processes, claims to enhance efficiency and transparency. Yet, it simultaneously raises fundamental challenges regarding core principles of public law, including legality, attribution of decisions, human dignity, and democratic oversight. Adopting an analytical-critical approach and using documentary-theoretical methods, this study examines three key Iranian policy documents: the “Smart Government Roadmap” (2025), the “Executive Guideline for Data-Driven Governance” (2025), and the “Performance Evaluation By-law” (2024). The findings reveal that despite the development of extensive technological infrastructures, there remains a lack of an independent public law framework to regulate algorithms, ensure legal attribution, and provide remedies for automated decisions. Drawing on comparative insights and domestic evidence, the article argues that the legitimacy of data-driven governance in Iran can only be guaranteed if human dignity and legal accountability are embedded at the core of public law architecture. Accordingly, it proposes the establishment of a National Data Regulator, mechanisms of algorithmic accountability, and transparent performance evaluation standards. https://www.jokog.ir/article_243235.html In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of studies on the challenges faced by science, technology, and innovation (STI) policymakers in confronting contemporary issues such as global environmental change, escalating inequality, and socio-economic health crises. Numerous studies have highlighted a critical disconnect between traditional innovation policies and the actions necessary to effectively address these grand societal and environmental challenges. These studies underscore the imperative of re-evaluating innovation policy frameworks to rectify this incongruity. Within this context, the third framework of innovation policy termed "transformative innovation policy", after the previous frameworks of innovation for growth and innovation systems, was presented with a more comprehensive approach to innovation. Identifying the characteristics of transformative innovation policy is crucial for the effective formulation and implementation of such policies. In this study, 41 selected articles were reviewed using the meta-synthesis method and 10 characteristics of transformative innovation policy were identified. Finally, considering that the transformation of socio-technical systems in transformative innovation policies is based on a multi-level perspective framework, these characteristics are categorized into three levels of niche, regime, and landscape.